Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A travel game utilizing a game surface having indicia thereon which represent a profile of a planetary surface and the space above with travel routes delineated in the said space. Position pieces are moved along the travel routes in response to chance means that determine the number of spaces moved by a player&#39;&#39;s position piece during his turn. Action areas are delineated on the game surface with two or more of the travel routes passing through a given action area. If a player&#39;&#39;s position piece lands in an action area, the player receives a penalty or an advantage which is determined by the particular route he is following. Certain of the position spaces along the travel routes are delineated as cruise spaces and the player is required to follow the instructions on a cruise card if his position piece lands on a cruise space.

United States Patent [1 1 Thiele 1 1 3,773,326 [451 Nov. 20, 1973 BOARD GAME APPARATUS Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe 76 Inventor: Edwin R. Thiele, 2304s Canzonet AmmekThmnas St., Woodland Hills, Calif. 91364 [57] ABSTRACT [22] Flled' 1971 A travel game utilizing a game surface having indicia [21] App]. No.: 172,837 thereon which represent a profile of a planetary surface and the space above with travel routes delineated in the said space. Position pieces are moved along the [52] Cl 273/134 273/134 52 travel routes in response to chance means that deter- 51 I t Cl A63 mine the number of spaces moved by a players posi- [58l F id 273/134 on piece during his mm Action areas are delineated e o are on the game surface with two or more the travel routes passing through a given action area. If a play- [56] References cued ers position piece lands in an action area, the player UNYTED STATES PATENTS receives a penalty or an advantage which is deter- 3,373,995 3/1968 Fors 273/134 AA mined by the particular route he is following. Certain 1,451,511 4/1923 Jones:

134 AC of the position spaces along the travel routes are delinl,652,851 12/1927 Bendtm. 273/134 AC eated as cruise Spaces and the player is required to f g; gig low the instructions on a cruise card if his position v1 3,514,111 5 1966 Crawford 273/134 A Place lands 3 muse Space 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures .4/QOQft 4 J L 11.11 1.1 1, H ,3

3 K 1 11:1 l"Ii., l .1. L j, r (Wm {M2 4 X A fi/V/flf & MI 4/7/2720 X p. e /4, 269/2. A, r /1 4050 pm'am'z 6 1 A/[Mfl/l [Al f 416E763 Al/FflP/V/d Z/ WW A EFA/AUUA/AZ W 6 MPO 7 h BOARD GAME APPARATUS This invention relates to a travel game that depicts travel within a vertical plane above a planetary surface. More specifically, the invention pertains to a travel I game which depicts cross-country air travel with the the trip safely in the shortest possible time.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of my game in its entirety including a playing board, position markers, and a stack of cruise cards.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged pictorial view of a position marker depicting a jumbo jet.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a typical cruise card showing typical instructions contained thereon.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the playing board in folded position with the end portions indicated in phantom line drawing to demonstrate their position during the folding of the board.

FIG. 5A is a view of the first third of the game board from the point of takeoff in Los Angeles to the continental divide.

FIG. 5B is a view of the second third of the game board from the continental divide to approximately Joliet, Illinois, and

FIG. 5C is a view of the last third of the game board from approximately Joliet, Illinois to the point of landing at New Yorks Kennedy International Airport.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, my game is played on a game surface which is conveniently provided by a playing board 2. The game board has indicia thereon which depict a profile through a planetary surface and the space above that surface. Travel routes 4 are delineated in the space above the planetary surface to represent travel in both a horizontal and vertical direction with respect to the planetary surface. Position pieces 6 are utilized by the players to mark their positions along the travel routes 4. The position pieces each begin their travel from a point of origin 12 and travel along the routes 4. The first position piece to reach the finish or destination point 14 is the winner of the game.

As the position pieces move along the travel routes 4, they'may land on spaces denoted on the travel routes as cruise spaces. When a player lands on such a cruise space, he is required to take a cruise card from a deck of cards. A cruise card, as typically shown in FIG. 3, will contain instructions to the player which he must follow. The instructions may penalize the player by requiring that he move backward for a particular reason, or they may provide the player with an advantage by requiring him to move forward a given number of spaces.

The movement of the position pieces 6 on the playing board is determined by chance means (not shown) which, for example, may be a pair of dice. As shown in FIG. 2, the position piece preferably has the outer configuration of a jumbo jet since a preferred embodiment of my game depicts the flight of jumbo jets across the United States from a point of origin at Los Angeles In-' temational Airport to a destination temational Airport.

On their flight across country, the players encounter action areas 16 which depict situations that are commonly encountered in cross-country jet travel and which affect the speed of the airplane and its over-all flight time. The placement of the action areas 16 on the playing surface corresponds with the geographical location where the particular situation depicted, e.g., a tail-wind or a storm, might be encountered on a crosscountry trip. Weather conditions are, of course, influenced by the underlying terrain. Thus, the particular action areas 16, which depict adverse or beneficial weather conditions, are situated properly with respect to the underlying terrain which might produce this particular type of weather condition. In a cross-country flight, the effect of a particular weather condition on an airplane will vary depending upon the altitude at which the plane is flying. Thus, the shape of an action area 16 denoting a particular weather condition is such that its effect on the game will vary depending upon the elevation of the flight path or travel route 4 in which the players position piece 6 is located.

As shown at FIG. 4, the game board may be conveniently made up in three sections including a center section 20 and foldable end sections 17 and 18. The end sections 17 and 18 are shown in phantom line view as they would appear while the board was being folded up. It is, of course, not essential to my invention that the game surface be in the form of a playing board. By way of example, the playing surface could be provided on a flexible surface in the form of a scroll. The portion of the playing surface which had already been used could then be rolled up at one end while a new playing surface was being unrolled at the opposite end.

In describing my game and the manner in which it is played, reference will now be made to FIG. 5A, 5B and 5C of the drawings which show the playing surface in considerably more detail. Turning to FIG. 5A, the game begins by having each player roll the dice. The player having the highest score is first to choose his flight altitude and the first to start his jet. The second highest player is the second to choose an altitude and the second to start his jet, etc. a

Following the initial roll, the first player rolls the dice and moves his jet a number of position spaces 22 that is equal to the total of the two numbers on the dice. If the player rolls doubles, he is given the option to roll again or to change to a different altitude, if he has already reached his cruising altitude. However, only one such repeat roll is allowed per player for that players 14 at Kennedy Inturn.

During the initial portion of the game, the players are in ascending paths 4A and no changes to another travel route are permitted. This is in conformity with the regulations governing commercial air travel in the vicinity of a metropolitan area where the planes are under the control of a ground controller who regulates their flight paths to avoid collisions.

When a player has completed the ascent path 4A, he reaches a cruising altitude of 25,000; 33,000; 37,000, or 41,000 feet, which is denoted 413.

After reaching cruising altitude, a player may, by chance, land on a cruise space 24. The cruise spaces 24 are of the same size as position spaces 22; however, they are denoted as cruise spaces by any convenient means such as the use of a different color. If the player lands on a cruise space 24, he is required to take a cruise card from the deck of cruise cards 8 that are positioned on the board 2. The cards in the cruise deck each contain instructions which the player must follow and which will either penalize him or give him an advantage. Various instructions may be printed on the cruise cards to provide situations normally encountered in cross-country air travel which either increase or decrease the speed of the airplane relative to the ground surface. Typical of such instructions are the following:

HEAD WIND: Go back two spaces.

HEAD WIND: Go back four spaces.

HEAD WIND: Go back six spaces.

TAIL WIND: Move ahead one space.

TAIL WIND: Move ahead three spaces.

TAIL WIND: Move ahead five spaces.

TAIL WIND: Move ahead seven spaces.

CHANGE ALTITUDE: Change altitude dice.

CHANGE ALTITUDE ONLY.

ROLL DICE ONLY.

In flying a jet across the country, one can encounter various weather conditions which will affect the speed of the airplane and the overall flight time. Typical of these conditions is the jet stream which usually flows from west to east. The jet stream is a narrow meandering river of strong winds, the effect of which is more pronounced at higher altitudes. This is reflected in the first action area 16A that the players may encounter on their cross-country journey. If a player lands within the action area 16A, he moves his position piece 6 ahead 3 spaces. It the position piece 6 is still within zone 16A, it is moved ahead another three spaces, etc., until it is clear of the action zone. Since the jet stream is more pronounced at higher altitudes, the player cruising at 41,000 feet may receive a larger bonus from the jet stream than the players at the lower altitudes.

As our players proceed across the country, they will approach the Rocky Mountains and another action area 16B, a mountain wave caused by winds flowing over the Rocky Mountains toward the lower elevations to the east. Some mountain waves will produce turbulence, which is more pronounced at lower elevations, and requires the pilot to slow down his jet. If a player and roll .stops in this action area, he is required to move his playing piece backward two spaces or a multiple of two spaces until he is clear of the area. He must then wait for his next turn and a roll of the dice which is suffciently high to take his position piece 6 through the action areal6B.

As stated, the turbulent effect of mountain waves over the Rockys on the airplane decreases as the flight elevation of the plane is increased. This is reflected in the shape of action area 168 in which there is no effect of the mountain wave on a position piece 6 in the travel route-4B having an elevation of 41,000 feet while the effect of the wave progressively increases as the altitude of the travel route is decreased.

Turning to FIG. 58, as our players proceed further in their trips across the country, the effect of the. jet stream again becomes pronounced after the Rocky Mountains have been passed. This is represented on the game board by an action area 16C. As before, the efhe is clear of the action area is increased as his flight altitude is increased, I I

' Proceeding further across the country, our players reach the midwest where violent thunderstorms are frequently encountered. Should they in the next action area 16D, which the shape ofa large thunderhead, the player is given the optionof eitherinoving backward two spaces or a multiple ofltwo. spaces, or

changing altitude until his position tion area 16D. W v

As the players reach the Chicago area, as shown in FIG. 5C, they may encounter the unexpected in the form of a sick passenger, if they land on action area 16E. This will result in delay by requiring that they land at OHare International Airport for the sick passenger to disembark and receive treatment. The player then loses one turn and he can then choose any available altitude and proceed with the game by rolling the dice.

Approaching the final destination 14, our players may encounter action area 16F in the form of air traffic delay. Such delays are commonly encountered in metropolitan areas and require that the pilot maintain a holding pattern until he receives instructions from the ground permitting him to land. In a holding pattern, the planes at the lower elevation are the first to land and this is reflected in the air traffic delay action zone 16F which penalizes most heavily those playing pieces 6 at the higher elevations. If the player lands in the action area 16F, he is required to go backwards 3 spaces or a multiple of three spaces until he is out of the area.

Finally, after traversing the hazards of air traffic delay, our players then enter the descent path 4C of their flight. While within the descent path 4C, no changes are permitted to another travel route. This, of course, is consistent with the safety rules governing the descent of a commercial airliner into a metropolitan area where its flight path is under the control of a ground controller.

In the last stage of the flight, our players enter an area denoted in range 12 spaces to go. At this point, they are almost home. However, they still have to land their airplane at Kennedy Airport and this requires rolling the dice to exactly the number required to move the playing piece the number of spaces to reach Kennedy Airport. In commercial air travel, landing is a critical phase of the flight since it is here that great care is required. Thus, it is essential that our players land correctly, which requires that they be precise in throwing the dice to exactly the number required.

In describing my game thus far, I have purposely tried to keep the description simple and have avoided dis- 6'is free of accussing the complexities of my game as it is actually fect of the jet stream is most pronounced at higher elevations. Thus, the bonus given to the player who moves forward three spaces or a multiple of three spaces until played. The complexities arise from the fact that the player has the option on any turn while at cruising altitude 48 to roll the dice or to change to a different altitude. Also, as stated previously, the player can change altitude if he rolls doubles. In changing altitudes, the player may move his position piece 6 vertically up or down to a different altitude only if another plane is not occupying that particular space. By having the option of changing altitudes, a player may seek to avoid obstacles, such as a mountain wave or an air traffic delay, or seek to take the greatest advantage of the jet stream at a higher altitude. This provides the player with the opportunity to choose his altitude and to devise his own strategy for piloting his jumbo jet safely and quickly to its destinationI The travel route depicted in FIGS. 5A,

5B and 5C is the one that is most often used by the big jets which provides a realism to my game in simulating transcontinental air travel.

By being able to change altitudes, the player can avoid difficulties. However, at the same time, altitude changes can cause difficulties since they result in having several position pieces 6 flying at the same altitude. When several position pieces 6 are moving along in the same flight path 4B, the leading position piece may be moving at a slower speed than the trailing position piece. According to the rules of the game, a piece 6 may not pass another piece at the same altitude. Thus, the player having the trailing position piece must change altitude to pass the piece which is in front of him. Also, the rules of the game do not permit two pieces to occupy the same travel route during the decent path 4C of the flight. If a position piece 6 already occupies a given travel route in the decent path 4C, a player whose position piece is in the same travel route must change to a different altitude before entering the descent path 4C.

As shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C, the number of spaces between the point of origin 12 and the destination 14 is not the same for each of the travel routes 4. As the cruising altitude of the travel route is increased,

the number of spaces between the origin 12 and destination 14 is increased. However, the difference in the distances of the travel routes 4 is offset by effect of the action areas 16 which benefit, in general, the player at the higher cruising altitude due to the action of the jet stream.

Certain of the cruise spaces 24 are located in close proximity to an action area 16. Thus, a player landing on the cruise space may be given instructions which place his position piece 6 in the particular action area. Should this occur, the player must then move his piece 6 out of the action area by following the instructions for that particular area, e.g., moving ahead three spaces or a multiple of three spaces, or moving backward two spaces or a multiple of two spaces, etc. If the instructions on the cruise card would require the player to violate the rules of the game such as by passing another player at the same altitude or by entering a descent path 4C already occupied by another player, theplayer is required to draw another cruise card, etc., until the instructions are not in conflict with the rules of the game.

As described, my game is educational, as well as entertaining. In challenging the player to use his mind in piloting his jumbo jet, the player is exposed to some of the safety rules required of a commercial aircraft, the weather and air traffic conditions encountered by commercial aircraft and the relation between these conditions and the terrain, and the geography of the United States as it appears in profile.

I claim:

1. A travel game comprising:

a game surface having indicia thereon which represent a profile view of a planetary surface and the space above said planetary surface; travel routes delineated in the space above said planetary surface with the travel routes representing movement in both vertical and horizontal directions with respect to said planetary surface; position spaces delineated on said travel routes with the position spaces in adjacent travel routes being vertically aligned when the adjacent travel routes are horizontal and parallel; action areas delineated on said game surface through which several travel routes pass with the several travel routes being parallel in passing through an action area with the position spaces in adjacent travel routes in alignment, and the shape of said action areas varying with altitude above the planetary surface to provide an effect which will vary depending on the altitude of a travel route when it passes through an action area, and

a plurality of position pieces, each to be moved along a travel route, and

chance means for determining the movement of the position pieces,

whereby a player simulates movement in both a horizontal and vertical direction with respect to a planetary surface by moving a position piece along a travel route and seeks to take advantage of the action areas in advancing the position piece by selecting a particular travel route or by switching to a different travel route during the course of the game.

2. The travel game of claim 1 wherein each travel route depicts flight in an airplane with the travel route including an ascent portion depicting the takeoff of an airplane, a level portion depicting flight at a cruising altitude and a descent portion depicting the landing of an airplane.

3. The travel game of claim 1 wherein said chance means selects a number by chance.

4. The travel game of claim 3 wherein said chance means are dice.

5. A travel game comprising:

a game surface having indicia thereon which represent a profile of the earths surface; travel routes delineated in the space above the earth s surface to designate airplane flight paths, said travel routes representing travel in both vertical and horizontal directions with respect to' the earths surface; position spaces delineated on said travel routes; and a vertically extending action area delineated on said game surface with several of said travel routes passing through the vertically extending action area with a penalty or a reward being provided to a player who stops within an action area; the action area representing conditions encountered in the flight of an airplane with the shape of the action area varying with respect to its altitude above the earths surface to provide an effect which will vary depending on the altitude of a travel route when it passes through the action area;

a pluralty of position pieces, each to be moved along a travel route, and

chance means for determining the choice of a travel route and the number of position spaces moved by a players position piece during that players turn,

whereby the movement of position pieces along said travel routes simulate both horizontal and vertical movement with respect to the earths surface in which a player may seek to minimize the effect of an action area which assesses a penalty and to maximize the effect of an action area which bestows a reward by initially choosing the most advantageous travel route or by changing altitude from a less advantageous to a more advantageous travel route during the course of the game. a: 

1. A travel game comprising: a game surface having indicia thereon which represent a profile view of a planetary surface and the space above said planetary surface; travel routes delineated in the space above said planetary surface with the travel routes representing movement in both vertical and horizontal directions with respect to said planetary surface; position spaces delineated on said travel routes with the position spaces in adjacent travel routes being vertically aligned when the adjacent travel routes are horizontal and parallel; action areas delineated on said game surface through which several travel routes pass with the several travel routes being parallel in passing through an action area with the position spaces in adjacent travel routes in alignment, and the shape of said action areas varying with altitude above the planetary surface to provide an effect which will vary depending on the altitude of a travel route when it passes through an action area, and a plurality of position pieces, each to be moved along a travel route, and chance means for determining the movement of the position pieces, whereby a player simulates movement in both a horizontal and vertical direction with respect to a planetary surface by moving a position piece along a travel route and seeks to take advantage of the action areas in advancing the position piece by selecting a particular travel route or by switching to a different travel route during the course of the game.
 2. The travel game of claim 1 wherein each travel route depicts flight in an airplane with the travel route including an ascent portion depicting the takeoff of an airplane, a level portion depicting flight at a cruising altitude and a descent portion depicting the landing of an airplane.
 3. The travel game of claim 1 wherein said chance means selects a number by chance.
 4. The travel game of claim 3 wherein said chance means are dice.
 5. A travel game comprising: a game surface having indicia thereon Which represent a profile of the earth''s surface; travel routes delineated in the space above the earth''s surface to designate airplane flight paths, said travel routes representing travel in both vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the earth''s surface; position spaces delineated on said travel routes; and a vertically extending action area delineated on said game surface with several of said travel routes passing through the vertically extending action area with a penalty or a reward being provided to a player who stops within an action area; the action area representing conditions encountered in the flight of an airplane with the shape of the action area varying with respect to its altitude above the earth''s surface to provide an effect which will vary depending on the altitude of a travel route when it passes through the action area; a pluralty of position pieces, each to be moved along a travel route, and chance means for determining the choice of a travel route and the number of position spaces moved by a player''s position piece during that player''s turn, whereby the movement of position pieces along said travel routes simulate both horizontal and vertical movement with respect to the earth''s surface in which a player may seek to minimize the effect of an action area which assesses a penalty and to maximize the effect of an action area which bestows a reward by initially choosing the most advantageous travel route or by changing altitude from a less advantageous to a more advantageous travel route during the course of the game. 